Bathroom Vanity Units

Bathroom Vanity Buying Guide

A vanity works harder than most people expect from a single piece of furniture. It supports the basin, provides elbow room at the bench, and stores everything a household needs close at hand, toiletries, spare toilet rolls, cleaning products and towels. Getting the size and storage configuration wrong shows up quickly in daily use: either the room feels cluttered, or the vanity itself feels out of proportion to the space.

Beyond function, the vanity sets the tone for the rest of the bathroom. Its material, colour and style influence how the surrounding tiles, tapware and lighting read as a finished room, which is why it's worth settling on a vanity direction before finalising those other selections.

What should I look for when buying a bathroom vanity?

Four factors are worth working through in order, before style enters the decision:

• Available space measure the width and depth of the wall the vanity will sit against, including clearance for doors, drawers and any adjacent fixtures
• Storage needs drawers generally keep items more accessible than cupboards, since nothing gets pushed to the back of a deep cabinet out of reach
• Installation type wall hung vanities suit bathrooms prioritising floor space and easy cleaning, while freestanding vanities can offer more storage volume for the same footprint
• Material all of the vanities at The Blue Space are built from quality water resistant materials to last the test of time in your bathroom

A builder, plumber or The Blue Space's design team can help confirm exact measurements against a specific bathroom's plumbing and wall space before ordering.

Vanity styles at The Blue Space

• Wall hung vanities are fixed to the wall with no cabinet base touching the floor. This makes floor cleaning straightforward and keeps the room feeling more open, since the floor reads as continuous underneath the unit. They suit both small and large bathrooms and are a common choice in recent bathroom renovations - view wall hung vanities
• Freestanding vanities stand directly on the floor and typically offer more storage volume than a wall hung equivalent of the same width. They read as a piece of furniture in their own right, which suits Hamptons and timber-led bathroom styles, and they conceal plumbing behind a solid cabinet base - view freestanding vanities
• Ensuite vanities are sized for smaller spaces, often narrower or shallower in depth than a main bathroom vanity, while still aiming to provide useful storage. Wall hung versions are particularly common in ensuites, since keeping the floor visible helps a small room feel larger - view ensuite vanities
• Curved vanities move away from square edges toward a rounded profile, which softens the room visually and reduces the sharp corners that can be awkward in a compact bathroom layout - view curved vanities
• Custom vanities at The Blue Space, our vanities can be customised to suit your style and needs. Choose from sizes, configurations, cabinet colours, benchtop colours and handle options

Matching a vanity to a bathroom style

• Woodgrain vanities overwhelmingly a popular choice across vanities, creating a statement in the bathroom and pairing perfectly with brushed brass and brushed nickel tapware
• White vanities remain a consistently popular neutral choice, since white suits modern, classic and Scandinavian bathrooms alike and pairs with almost any tile or tapware colour, letting other elements in the room introduce colour instead
• Hampton style vanities typically use shaker-profile doors, classic proportions and a white or soft grey finish, usually paired with a stone benchtop and traditional tapware, to achieve a relaxed coastal look

What is a standard size vanity?

• Up to 600mm suits powder rooms and small ensuites, where wall hung and slimline formats make the most of limited floor space while still providing a basin and small storage area
• 750mm and 900mm are the most common widths for a single-basin main bathroom vanity, with 900mm giving noticeably more bench space and storage capacity than 750mm
• 1200mm and 1500mm typically allow for a double-basin configuration, suited to shared bathrooms where two people need bench space at once
• 1800mm and above suit larger main bathrooms or ensuites, generally with double basins and the greatest available storage and bench area

Completing the vanity: basins, mirrors and storage

Some vanities come with an integrated benchtop and basin, while others require a separate top and a chosen basin style. Basin options include inset (dropped into a benchtop cutout), undermount (fixed beneath the benchtop for a flush surface) and countertop or above-counter basins (sitting on top of the bench). 

• Mirrors placed above the vanity also help bounce light around a room, in addition to their obvious function, and are worth choosing in a size and shape that suits the vanity's proportions
• Shaving cabinets combine a mirror with concealed internal shelving, keeping toiletries off the benchtop while staying within easy reach
• Bathroom tallboys are tall, narrow cabinets that make use of unused vertical wall space, useful for towel and supply storage, and are best chosen in a finish that matches the vanity for a coordinated look

Smaller details also affect day-to-day use: handles versus fingerpull (handle-free) drawer fronts change the vanity's appearance, and internal drawer dividers make it easier to keep contents organised.

Brands stocked at The Blue Space

This collection includes vanities from Ingrain, ADP (Architectural Designer Products), Timberline, Marquis, BelBagno, Turner Hastings and Otti, each with a different design focus, from Australian-made custom options through to European styling and solid timber craftsmanship.

Do I need a plumber to install a bathroom vanity?

Yes. A bathroom vanity needs to be installed by a licensed builder or plumber. Installing a vanity outside of licensed trade work will void the product warranty.

How do I maintain a bathroom vanity?

Routine cleaning with a damp cloth and a mild detergent is generally sufficient for most vanity finishes, which are selected to resist staining and moisture in day-to-day bathroom use. Avoiding abrasive cleaning products helps preserve the finish over time, particularly on timber and painted surfaces.

Planning the rest of the room

A vanity is easiest to select once the bathroom's layout and plumbing are confirmed, since basin type, tap hole position and installation method all follow from that decision. The Blue Space's Basins, Tapware and Mirrors collections are worth reviewing alongside a vanity choice, so the whole vanity wall can be planned as one considered look rather than assembled piece by piece.